Video WatchBloG By Tim Lucas
Alfred Molina as the menacing “Doc Ock” in Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004).
SPIDER-MAN 2 “Doc Ock”
First introduced in THE AMAZ- ING SPIDER-MAN #3, Dr. Otto Octavius (aka “Doctor Octopus”) attained almost immediate sta- tus as Spider-Man’s first truly worthy adversary—the book’s counterpart to the similarly me- tallic medico menace of The Fan- tastic Four, Doctor Doom. Like his predecessor (by one issue) The Vulture, Octavius was drawn by Marvel artist Steve Ditko to suggest someone not only of unchallenging physique but somewhat advanced in years, making these key adversaries the literal opposites of Spider-Man himself, who, at the time, was a teenage high school student masquerading not only as a spi- der but as a man. Octavius quickly ascended to the pan- theon of Marvel’s great villains because his lethal mechanical appendages mirrored the preten- sions of Spider-Man, who came up short of a real spider with only half as many limbs. Being young and cocky, it was the way of Spi- der-Man to crack wise during his fist-fights, but the power of Dr. Octopus’ invention was such that his arms whipped the “friendly neighborhood” wall-crawler into a state of unusual sobriety, which also factored into his impact. Here was a foe that even Spider- Man was forced to take seriously. “Doc Ock”—Stan Lee’s swingin’ shorthand for the character’s marvelously creepy name—was first uttered in the private thoughts of young Peter Parker on the third page of the villain’s second appearance (in THE
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #11) and it somehow stuck, though it would be some time before the epithet would be spoken in battle. By the time of Octavius’ next ap- pearance in THE AMAZING SPIDER- MAN #53, the return of “Doc Ock” was so heralded right on the cover of the comic.
Given this history, it’s inter- esting that, in Sam Raimi’s SPI- DER-MAN 2 (Sony), the “Doc Ock” nickname is coined (by no less than J.K. Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson) only seconds after “Doctor Octopus” is thought up, and it’s allowed to eclipse the character’s full name even in the end titles. One feels this ready mockery is not a good thing, but, fortunately, it doesn’t prevent SPIDER-MAN 2 from becoming one of the most satisfying of all superhero films, and the ultimate
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